Skin Lightening and Bleaching Tips from Skin: Its Care and Treatment, 1910
BLEACHING THE SKIN.
As an addition to the regular bleaching process nothing can be better than that method of forcing the bleaching lotion into the deeper tissues of the skin by means of the negative electrode. The current should be used as strong as it can be borne and all affected portions treated until the flesh is thoroughly reddened. Obstinate chloasma (moth-patch), discolored streaks from wearing stiff collars and a generally dark appearance may be remedied in this manner.
In this connection, it must also be remembered that all oil should first be removed by the use of soda so that the lotion may be forced in easily. This method rarely makes the skin red or irritated and forms a very valuable part of the instantaneous bleaching process.
INSTANTANEOUS FACE BLEACHING.
This process will positively bleach any skin from two to five shades without irritation, if care is used in giving the treatment. Occasionally, in very sensitive subjects, a rash will appear the following day, but this soon vanishes, and the skin will be clearer than before.
DIRECTIONS.
First, cleanse the skin with the lettuce cream.
Next, remove with soda solution.
Then, place a little tissue food [Ed: "pure cold-rendered leaf lard"] on the eyebrows to avoid bleaching them.
Wrap the carbon electrode with cotton that has been thoroughly saturated with bleaching lotion and apply with the negative galvanic current. Move very slowly over the face, using special care over darkest portions and continue this treatment for at least fifteen minutes. Be careful to use enough current and to continue this work as directed, for thus the bleaching lotion is forced into the malpighiaan layer.
Now mix refining powder and bleaching lotion into a paste and spread over the face and neck. Dry slowly, as the longer this mask is on, the more pronounced the bleaching will be. On very sensitive skins, the paste may be mixed with equal quantities of witch hazel and lotion, or with the witch hazel alone.
Wash off the mask with tepid water, using two waters. Apply whitening cream and force in with red light from seven to ten minutes.
If the skin seems a little sensitive, use tissue food for massage, otherwise use the whitening cream and go through regular motions without using electricity. Use lavender lotion for removing all traces of the cream and close the pores by the use of the positive galvanic electrode covered with cotton that has been saturated either with bleaching lotion or with salt solution.
For moth patches or very brown skins, the patient should be instructed to use the whitening cream every night, the bleaching lotion during the day, and the powder always before venturing into the air.
The bleaching treatment may be taken two or three times a week. These treatments are especially good for removing the coat of tan accumulated during the summer and can be used with extremely fine results for the bleaching of the arms and neck.
Always be careful to recommend the lettuce cream for cleansing for a day or two following this treatment as otherwise the patient may cause an irritated condition by the use of soap and water.
In bleaching arms and shoulders, the paste may be left on for fully three-quarters of an hour with excellent effect and the whitening cream spread on liberally afterward and forced in with the red light. The carbon electrode need not be used excepting in extreme cases as the paste will be usually quite sufficient to do the work.